State Rep. Tom Brower said he does not hold any animosity against the two people who allegedly assaulted him in Kakaako on Monday.

“This was just an unfortunate circumstance,” said Brower (D, Waikiki-Ala Moana-Kakaako) at a news conference at the state Capitol on Tuesday afternoon.

He said he has not decided whether to press charges.

Brower said two different people assaulted him after he took two photos of two streets before putting his camera away. Brower said there were no people in the photos, which he took them to keep a record of the site for himself. The Kakaako area is the site of a large encampment of homeless people living on the sidewalks surrounding the Children’s Discovery Center.

“Within a few seconds, a guy on a skateboard deliberately ran into me and punched me several times in the chest. He tried to throw me to the ground. I moved back several steps but he continued to come towards me. I backed away further; he continued to come at me. At that point, I took my camera out to videotape what was happening for my personal records, a few seconds of videotape at most,” he said.

Soon after, Brower said, he was knocked down and punched a few times by a second person. 

“I got up and backed away but they still came after me and tried to knock me down. Throughout the ordeal, I never acted aggressively towards anyone or tried to hit them back.”

The assault occurred sometime after 4:30 p.m.

He was treated and released at Queen’s Medical Center. He suffered a laceration near his right eye, facial swelling, bruised ribs and scrapes to his left hand when he was knocked down to the ground.

Brower said his camera was taken at the time of the assault. His camera was returned today but the photos he took Monday were deleted.

Brower walked in the area, partly in response to an email he received from the Children’s Discovery Center expressing public safety and health concerns regarding the growing homeless encampment. 

“At this time, my concern is not necessarily for my own safety, but for the safety of families and children who are frequenting the Children’s Discovery Center or enjoying a day at the park,” he said.

Brower said he was walked the area many times since he was elected state representative for the 23rd district that includes Waikiki, Ala Moana and Kakaako in 2006.